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Enrique Camarena Salazar
Enrique Camarena (1947 – 1985) was an American DEA agent who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the Guadalajara cartel in 1985 while on an undercover assignment in Mexico. Biography Early life Camarena was born in 1947 in Baja California, Mexico. He moved to the United States of America in a young age, but continued to periodically visit his grandmother in Guadalajara. After completing his education, he served in the US Marines for three years, attaining a rank of Lance Corporal. After his discharge, he briefly had a stint working as a fireman before eventually joining the Drug Enforcement Administration at their Calexico office in 1975. He was later transferred to the Fresno office of the DEA. He married Geneva Camarena, and fathered two children. Going after the Guadalajara cartel Arrival in Guadalajara In 1980, fearing that his career might stagnate, Kiki requests a transfer to Miami, however one of his coworkers gets the job. Frustrated, Kiki picks the only other location available: Guadalajara, Mexico. He arrived in Guadalajara at the same time as Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, his future target. After settling his family, he visited the US Consulate to meet up with his team. He worked under bureau leader James Kuykendall, along with Special Agents Butch Sears and Roger Knapp. Kiki's enthusiasm wanes after finding out that all the DEA did was buy drinks for police officers and go on phony raids, taking a 'prize' given to them by the smugglers as a bribe. At the Camelot bar, state trooper Sammy Alvarez gives a brief introduction of the local law enforcement. Later, he bumps into Juan José Esparragoza Moreno, a high ranking officer of the Mexican DFS in the toilet, and points out dried blood in the latter's shoes. During his first raid in an abandoned farm house, along with their regular prize, he comes across the body of Hernan Naranjo. Hernan controlled marijuana smuggling in Guadalajara along with his brother, Hernin, whose body was found in the Hotel Americas the day prior. Kiki quickly notes that a new player had moved into the town, as the price of weed remained the same despite the death of two major traffickers. He noticed Esparragoza Moreno standing outside the farm house, and later driving off. A few days later, Kiki again finds Esparragoza Moreno driving into a warehouse in the middle of the city. Kiki stations himself outside the warehouse and notes the vehicles and guards passing through. He passes the information to Kuykendall, who tells him that they need local support to conduct raids, and that getting the Mexican Federal Judicial Police to do their job was "like trying a cat to play ball". Nevertheless, Jaime convinces the MFJP to conduct the raid. The Mexican police commander tells the Americans to follow him, but the Americans ignore him and sneak up from the behind and come across a lone truck in a shed. The Mexican commander opens the cabin, and finds it filled with plastic rods (which were destined to the Rancho Búfalo). The Mexicans then proceed to mock the Americans. Still determined, Kiki begins following a car to the countryside. However, his car breaks down and he is left stranded in the middle of the desert. Trucks carrying blindfolded men with armed guards drive past him, and Kiki follows their trail and deduces that there is some illegal operation going on. Abduction and murder In 1984, acting on information from the DEA, 450 Mexican soldiers backed by helicopters destroyed a 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) marijuana plantation in Allende (Chihuahua) with an estimated annual production of $8 billion known as "Rancho Búfalo". Camarena, who was suspected of being the source of the information, was abducted in broad daylight on February 7, 1985, by corrupt Mexican officials working for the major drug traffickers in Mexico. Camarena was tortured at Caro Quintero's mansion over a 30-hour period, then murdered. His skull was punctured by a metal object, and his ribs were broken . He may have been injected with drugs, most likely to ensure that he remained conscious while being tortured. Camarena's body was found wrapped in plastic in a rural area outside the small town of La Angostura, in the state of Michoacán, on March 5, 1985. Category:Individuals Category:DEA agents Category:Americans